ooates



s. C,OATES.

Gas Retort.

Patented Mar. 23, 1858.

AM PHOTO-LITHlLCO. NMuJSBORNE'E PROCESS.)

ITED STAWENT OFFICE.

S. COATES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

METHOD OF CLEANSING GAS-GENERATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 19,686, dated March 23, 1858.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAUNDERS CoA'rEs, of New York, county of New York,and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Portable-Gasworks; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference .being made-tothe annexed drawing, making a part of this specification, which is acentral vertical section of a retort of ordinary construction having myimprovement attached.

My invention is an improvement in that method of cleaning the retortsemployed for generating olefiant gas, wherein the said. cleaning iseffected by burning out the carbonaceous and other residuum left fromthe decomposition of the fatty matters, which method of cleaning isnecessarily resorted to in those small retorts used in what are commonlyknown as Portable-gas-works. In

burning out not only the gas in the retort which had not yet passedover, but also the i carbonaceous .matters resulting from the fattymatters used. A few minutes suffices to do this. The residuum is thusremoved excepting only some ashes, and the generating process may thenbe resumed by turning on the feed again and opening the delivery pipe.

My improvement consists simply in admitting the said atmospheric airinto the retort at its upper part when necessary to clear it, (and thisis either by lifting the cover at one side, or by an air cock insertedinto the said cover,) and at the same time creating a draft in theretort by means of an opening, also from the upper part, into thechimney or into the fire under the retort, whereby the gaseous productsof combustion will be drawn off and the air caused to enter. I do notclaim herein the general principle of admitting air into a retort, atanyplace,

in combination with such vent as I have described, for I am aware thatthe air has been so admitted at or near the bottom or lower side of theretort. This method however has been found uncertain in practice, aswell 'as dangerous to the operators, by reason of the frequentexplosions which have occurred in its use, since, in that, the enteringair often forms an explosive mixture siphon (d) for admitting oil, thewhole being set in a furnace, as common to this kind of works. air cock(6) and from the side of the retort, near its upper part, I carry out apipe In the cover I insert an This pipe must be extended into some Placev where a draft is produced, as for instance, the chimney of thefurnace, or, it may be, as represented, carried into the furnace itself,and this arrangement I prefer, as thereby a stronger draft is producedthrough the pipe, The pipes and (e) are provided wlth stop-cocks, asshown, and the operation will be as follows.

When the retort needs cleaning, open the cocks in the pipes (e) and theair entering at (0) causes the contents of the retort to take fire, andburn down from the surface, and the product of this combustion is drawnoff through the pipe f) into the furnace. The same-efiect will beproduced, if preferred, by raising slightly the cover of the retort onone side, the air entering in that way causing also combustion at thesurface. It will thus be seen that as the entrance of the air and themeans of escape for the products of combustion are at the upper part ofthe retort no disturbance of the contents of the retort takes place, andhence no mixture of the air with the gases can occur to form anexplosive mixture, which has so often happened in those retorts in whichthe air is admitted at or near the bottom.

I claim In Witness whereof I have hereunto set The mocfle of clearingthe retort by the admy hand. mission 0 atmospheric air at the to of saidretort, in combination With the dirhft- GOATES' 5 pipe for carrying offthe products of com- In presence ofbustion, the Whole being arranged inthe J. P. PnNssoN, manner substantially as set forth herein. S. H.MAYNARD.

